A. Mori et al., ALLERGEN-SPECIFIC HUMAN T-CELL CLONES PRODUCE INTERLEUKIN-5 UPON STIMULATION WITH THE TH1 CYTOKINE INTERLEUKIN-2, International archives of allergy and immunology, 107(1-3), 1995, pp. 220-222
CD4+ T cell clones specific for DerfII (a major allergen of the house
dust mite) were established from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of
atopic patients. All of the T cell clones were classified as having t
he ThO phenotype, since they produced both interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-4
upon stimulation. Some of the clones produced IL-5 upon antigenic sti
mulation. Human recombinant IL-2 induced these T cell clones to expres
s IL-5 mRNA and produce IL-5 protein in a dose-dependent manner. IL-2
did not induce IL-4 production, indicating a discrete signal requireme
nt for IL-4 versus IL-5 production by T cells. Moreover, IL-5 producti
on induced by immobilized anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody was completely
suppressed by the addition of anti-IL-2 monoclonal antibody, suggestin
g that IL-5 production, designated as a Th2-type immune response, is d
ependent on IL-2, a Th1 cytokine. IL-2 produced at the site of allergi
c inflammation may contribute to IL-5 production by T cells in vivo.